Fight Like a Child
by AureliaHyde
Summary: AU! Peeta was a child soldier in the country of Panem since he was 7. Now at 22 he was captured and brought out of Panem's civil war to get rehabilitated after his traumatic past. His doctor, Katniss Everdeen is there to help, but he doesn't understand why she is so hell bent on putting her neck out for him. Not sure about rating due to war descriptions!
1. Chapter 1

White tiles lined the floor, gleaming sterile faces laughing back at the boy who cast his eyes down upon their porcelain features. The fluorescent lighting above his head buzzed and clicked with the signal that it would need replacing soon. The room held only a small white bed, one Plexiglas window, and one young man curled up on the bed.

He studied the blank wall across from him, his vacant eyes showing almost no signs of life.

"Peeta Mellark," a young nurse called into the room before entering, "it's time to get your evaluation."

Peeta stood up with a blank expression, his eyes hauntingly dull. He followed the nurse out of the room, heading deeper into the facility as he trailed the perky blonde nurse. She didn't stop chattering away during the walk. By the time they got to the doctor's door, the woman had explained every crevice in this entire building.

"Alright now you are going to sit in there and you'll meet your doctor. She will begin the evaluation and when your session is finished you will be escorted back to your room. Dinner is promptly at 6, and depending on her instructions you will have an allotted amount of free time during the day. If you aren't in the dining hall at the specific times, I or your other nurse will come get you. Medicine schedules are posted in your room and in front of the nurses' station. Do not be late for taking your medication or you will go on probation watch."

With a quick nod of her head she turned and walked down the hall, heading back in the direction they came. Peeta hesitated at the door, his hand hovering over the knob. He looked around and noticed the large male nurses standing not too far away. He wasn't stupid; he knew what they were for. The minute he got out of control or created even the slightest of disturbances, they would be shoving a needle in his arm so fast he'd be out before he could take one step. Taking a deep breath Peeta slowly turned the knob and scraped the door open slowly.

The inside of the room was very bare, situated with leather couches, a couple windows, and one large arm chair. There sitting in the chair sat a woman, about the same age as him, with dark wavy hair swept into a side braid. She sat with a pad and paper, tapping her chin with a pencil as she studied whatever was written on the paper. On her white lab coat sat a name tag that read "Katniss Everdeen".

He coughed into his hand, gaining the attention of the young doctor immediately. Come in Peeta, please sit anywhere you are comfortable.

Peeta nodded and sat across from her, his back and side to the wall and away from the windows. Her eyebrows quirked up, this action not going unnoticed by her observation. Other than that slight move her face was stony and unmoving.

"No one is going to hurt you here Peeta. We're here to help. Old habits die-hard, but maybe try to relax a little while you're here."

He looked at her with a blank expression, his hands clenching and unclenching on his knees. He curled in on himself more, trying to stay as far away from her as possible.

"Why don't you tell me why you're here," she said gently.

"You already know why I'm here, so what difference does it make if I say it?"

Her face stayed emotionless as she listened to his bitter words. "The point of this is to have you voice why you are here. It's a simpler topic then some of the other demons that are haunting you." She stated her words bluntly, getting straight to the point and not trying to coddle him at all.

"I'm here because I was captured at one of our bases. My country is in war with itself and I was taken as a child soldier at age 7. Authorities from this country deemed me mentally unfit, and I was dropped off here."

His eyes held no fire in them as he talked. They were cold hard ice drops, staring down at the floor as he spouted out each word.

The pencil running over the paper was the only sound in the room for a few tense minutes. He didn't dare look up, keeping his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Why do you believe you were put in here Peeta?" Katniss questioned him without even a glance in his direction, keeping her attention on the notes scribbled onto the paper.

He just snorted and rolled his eyes grounding out, "because I'm a danger to everyone."

"I didn't ask you the reason they put you in here, but the reason that you think you're in here." Her tone held no sincerity or contempt, only cold hard logic echoed out of her voice.

"I'm here because I'm a murderer. I killed people, I watched the other kids in my unit kill children and I've watched them be killed."

She pursed her lips before she asked her next question. "Can you tell me what events in your life are real or fake?"

His face contorted slightly as he thought this question over. "What do you mean? What events aren't real? I would know if I dreamed those things up doctor."

She just blinked at his words, like she didn't believe a thing he said. "Do you honestly believe you're a murderer, even though your government brain washed you?" She stared straight into his eyes as she spoke, but he couldn't meet her gaze. His hands were clenching and unclenching on his knees as his eyes burned holes into the carpeted floor.

"They didn't, I wouldn't… you're just trying to just turn me against them. I'm a, I don't…" He started stumbling over his words, his hands now balled into fists. His face was blooming with red as he shook with fury. He couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't anymore, the room started to spin and all he could see was her face staring at him without any emotion on her face. He ground his teeth together as his eyes held the flames of a burdened man.

Suddenly it was like a rubber band snapped in half. He stood in milliseconds, his posture stiff and rigid, like his muscles were locked in place. His eyes were like two blue flames, burning her faces with his glare. He wasn't even staring at her anymore; it was like he was looking straight through her. He flew right in front of her seated body, his nostrils flaring with rage. He barely had time to throttle her throat with a vise like grip before the door was busted open and the two men from the hall were wrestling him down to the floor, shoving a needle into his arm and injecting the medicine in him.

He slumped on the ground, his body rapidly losing its strength. He flicked his eyes up, staring at Dr. Katniss as she stood above him with her hand gingerly touching her now bruised neck. She didn't look scared or even angry; the only thing drifting in her eyes was pity and a flicker of something else he couldn't comprehend. As his vision swam, he could hear the buzz of their voices talking over him, but he wasn't able to understand the words. Black spots covered his line of sight, and finally his eyelids drooped down as the drugs overtook him.


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I graduated and I now work 2 jobs before college :). I will try to now update regularly, but if I forget just send me a message. Or send me a message on tumblr (arrowtothemoon). By the by, Peeta is in a mental facility, and the others will not all be child soldiers! Just to clear things up. Any other questions or comments are appreciated and wanted! Keep the words nice and constructive! I don't own Hungers Games!

* * *

Darkness swam around Peeta's head as he slowly floated back to consciousness. The room felt cool as he fluttered his eyes open against the harsh light emitted from the ceiling. The room was the same as before, except this time the window was open. As he tried to lift his arms up to rub his face, Peeta realized he couldn't move his arms. Pinned to his sides were his arms, his torso locked inside a straightjacket holding him in a permanent self-hug.

"Peeta?" Delly's voice echoed into the room as the door slowly creaked open. "I see you're up now. How are you feeling? "

It took him a few minutes before his brain caught up with his mouth, and even as he spoke the words, they were thick and fuzzy in his mouth. "Thirsty…..what did?" Before he finished his sentence the events of this morning ran through his head.

Delly didn't seem to notice as she ushered Peeta up and lead him into the hallway.

"Can you take this off?" Peeta questioned quietly as he followed her down the long corridor.

"I'm sorry Peeta, after the little stunt you pulled; you'll have to wear it until we know that you wont be harm to others or yourself."

He already knew that was coming, but it didn't make him feel any less bad. He took deep breaths as he worked up to the question he wanted to ask. "Is….is Doctor Everdeen alright?" His voice wavered even as he mumbled the words, afraid that he wouldn't like the outcome of that question.

"She's fine. A little bruised, but Mrs. Everdeen patched her up just fine. Here we are!" The door she stopped at had INFIRMARY written on it. She opened the door and shooed him inside. "Here's Mellark! I'll see you later Everdeens!"

Peeta lifted his eyes up and instantly paused. The room was pretty large, with the same sterile feel to it as every other room in this building. Sitting lazily in a plastic rubber chair sat Katniss, Doctor Everdeen, and next to her was a petit blonde chatting animatedly and making Katniss laugh as if she hadn't just been strangled.

"Mr. Mellark, have a seat right up here. I'll just be a second, Katniss you scoot out of here now. I need to get his checkup done in time for lunch."

She looked up and her smile slipped off her face as if she had put grease on her face. "Glad to see your back Peeta."

"Doctor Everdeen, I'm sorry I don't know what happened but I really don't mean you harm."

"I know don't worry we will discuss it tomorrow." With that the door clicked shut and she was gone, her footsteps fading down the hall.

"Alright Peeta please sit while I get your jacket undone." The little blonde gave him a warm smile and deftly undid the tight contraption binding him. She laid it down next to him on the cold table and handed him a paper-thin gown. "Change into this please."

Doctor Everdeen, and as Peeta learned, Nurse Prim, checked everything from his ears to his eyes, heartbeat, reflexes, and whatever in between they felt needed to be noted in his file. By the time he changed back into his assigned white shirt and pants, he'd had gotten 3 shots and 1 vial of blood taken. Prim lifted up the jacket with a weary smile, her eyes swimming with pity and understanding.

"It will only be for a little while. Katniss is trying to get them to ease up on you, but they are being sticklers about it."

Shock etched deep lines on Peeta's face. She was trying to help him, even after he tried to strangle her. She barely showed him any emotion or feeling, yet she was fighting for him. His brow furrowed and he sat staring dumbly at his hands.

The knock on the door pulled Peeta out from his thoughts and three sets of eyes looked up as Delly entered the room.

"Lunch Mr. Mellark! We will swing by the medication area to get your pills before we go."

He nodded towards the two Everdeens and followed Delly out into the hall. It would only be a short time before he was able to ask Doctor Everdeen all his questions, but the clocks seemed to tick by at a snail's pace to him.


End file.
